DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Books and General

Committee on Science and Technology for Countering Terrorism. National Research Council. Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2002.

Mazzafro, I&NS 19.1, finds that this work "is impressive for its scope and insight, but is also short on specific scientific recommendations and reads like an almanac." Although it is "now dated and [is] somewhat difficult to read because of style and length," the book does provide "a systemic way of looking at the enormity of the challenges associated with protecting the US from the multitude of terrorist threats."

Cordesman, Anthony H. 

1. Cyber-threats, Information Warfare, and Critical Infrastructure Protection:  Defending the U.S. Homeland.  Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. 

2. Strategic Threats and National Missile Defenses: Defending the U.S. Homeland. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002.

CSIS Task Force on Homeland Security. Meeting the Challenges of Establishing a New Department of Homeland Security: A CSIS White Paper. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2002. [http://www.csis.org/features/hamrefinalpaper.pdf]

From "Preface": "We firmly believe that it is in the interest of all Americans for the creation of a new Department of Homeland Security to succeed. America remains vulnerable to catastrophic terrorism. Too many of the security procedures instituted since September 11, 2001 have provided too little security – often because of the lack of a central, coordinated framework for efficient government action. The President’s proposal has the promise to improve this situation enormously.

"But in our view, important issues must be clarified and resolved if the initiative is to realize its full potential and America is to become more secure. We also believe the plan is missing some key pieces that need to be addressed.

"Most importantly, we believe that the initial steps to implement the President’s proposal should be considered provisional. America’s security needs will evolve as America’s society, business climate, population and threat assessments change. The great burden of modern government is its lack of flexibility in adapting to change. Congress needs to institutionalize a climate of continuing assessment and evolution as our government strives to meet the demands of providing homeland security."

Ervin, Clark Kent. Open Target: Where America is Vulnerable to Attack. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

Peake, Studies 50.4 (2006) and Intelligencer 15.2 (Fall/Winter 2006-2007), finds that the author, a former inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has produced a "frustrating, even frightening, but important book." Ervin surveys "every facet of homeland security" and concludes that "[w]hile some progress has been made, albeit wastefully, and it is harder for terrorists to attack now than it was five years ago,... it is still much easier than it should be."

Forest, James J.F., ed. Homeland Security: Protecting America's Targets. 3 vols. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2006.

Vol. 1: Protecting America's Borders and Points of Entry

Vol 2: Protecting America's Public Spaces and Social Institutions

Vol 3: Protecting America's Critical Infrastructure

Keiser, Proceedings (Dec. 2006), notes that this is an "extensive collection of articles and essays on homeland security." The author "has assembled a well-informed catalogue of views that deserves widespread circulation."

Heritage Foundation. Homeland Security Task Force. Defending the American Homeland. Washington, DC: Heritage Foundation, 2002. [http://www.heritage.org]

Task Force chaired by L. Paul Bremer, III, and Edwin Meese, III.

Hulnick, Arthur S. Keeping Us Safe: Secret Intelligence and Homeland Security. Westport, CT: Praeger Greenwood, 2004.

According to Peake, Studies 49.2 (2005), the focus here "is on assessing the role of intelligence in domestic security." The author "does not suggest that the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the solution to the problems identified, but he concludes that whatever its role, it will require an intelligence element." Hulnick's "is not ... a detailed, case-oriented treatment. Problems are identified, but only the nature of solutions are suggested." The work "is more a primer on the intelligence process that the author thinks should be applied to homeland security problems."

Marrin, IJI&C 18.3 (Fall 2005), finds the strength of this work in "its breadth rather than [its] depth, [as] very little in th[e] book is new." However, "it is a splendid introductory text for the general reader."

For Jeffreys-Jones, I&NS 20.2 (Jun. 2005), this book "is a useful primer for those interested in the field.... But the book is more than a repository of useful facts. It is a treasury of wise and sensible remarks."

Maxwell, Bruce. Homeland Security: A Documentary History. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2004.

From advertisement: "Beginning with a discussion of the concept and definition of 'homeland security,' this volume integrates more than 140 documents to trace the history, issues, and impact of homeland security concerns."

Melanson, Philip H. The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2002. Rev. ed. 2005. [pb]

From publisher on 2005 packback edition: "This new edition of the definitive history of the Secret Service lays bare the 2004 Bush campaign's political uses of the agency and the new challenges it faces as a branch of the Homeland Security Department, in a post-9/11 world..... Melanson explores the long-hidden workings of the Secret Service since its inception in 1865 and through rigorous research and extensive interviews with former White House staffers and retired agents, uncovers startling facts about the Agency’s role in such traumatic national events as the assassination of JFK and the shooting of President Reagan."

Studeman, Michael W. "Strengthening the Shield: U.S. Homeland Security Intelligence." International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 20, no. 2 (Summer 2007): 195-216.

The author details the organizational structure and missions of DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and the multiple other department components with intelligence functions (Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service, Immigration and Customs Inforcement, Federal Protective Service, and Citizenship and Immigration Services).

White, Jonathan. Defending the Homeland: Domestic Intelligence, Law Enforcement and Security. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2004.

Return to DHS Table of Contents